Centrifugal governor



Feb. 8 1927.

C. H. SMOOT CENTRIFUGAL GOVERNOR Filed Oct. 22, 1926 TTONEYS.

Patented Feb. 8, 1927.

UNITEv CHARLES H. SMOOT, OF MAPLEWOOD, NEW J CENTBIFUGAL GOVERNOR.

Application filed October 22, 1926. Serial No. 143,416.

\ This invention relates to centrifugal governors of the class characterized by a rotatable liquid container in which a stationary disk is caused to move axially with a force. a proportionate to the speed of the container by virtue of vanes on both the container and the disk. Such a governor is shown Yin my prior- Patent No. 1,530,740 dated March 24, 1925.

It has been' found in practice that there is a tendency in governors of this kind .or the liquid to creep up along the surfaces of the apparatus above the liquid until it reaches a point where the centrifugal 15 force of thevrotating parts causes such leakage liquid to be thrown off with the result that the level of the li uid is soon lowered to a point where the e ratus as a governor is impaired. It has also been found in practice that a small accumulation of air sometimes occurs under the disk due to leakage or turbulence and this air being an elastic medium interferes materially with the efiiciency of the device as a governor, for the reason that the governor is designed to work only with inelastic fluids.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome these defects. To prevent the liquid from creepin up to a point where it can be thrown o I have'found that if the central shaft is made to fit as a journal, the riser on the rotatable member, the said journal fit terminating some distance below the top of the riser, that this leakage can be prevented and that if the shaft carrying the stationary disk has'an air vent extending from the lower surface of the disk up through the shaft with outlets through the shaft of the journal bearing at a point above the liquid line with a further air vent extending from this first air vent up through the vertical rod that connects the shaft'with the governor actuated mechanism and thence rough said rod, the air will be bled. from the space below the disk and discharged into the atmosphere'while any liquid accompanying the air or creeping up along the inside of the air vent will be discharged into the journal bea i The invention will be better understood by a detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawing, which represents a speed governor in axial section.

1 1 represents a shaft geared to the mechaciency of the appa- I shaft 5. Any liquid nism whose speed is to .be' regulated. Secured is a casing 2 adapted to contain liquid. A hollow riser or column 3 extends from the upper part of this casing. In the casing is to this shaft and rotatable with it v a non-rotatable disk 4 having a hollow riser or shaft 5gfitting with a journal fit in the column '3. The shaft ,5 has a connecting rod 6 extending vertically to a point where it is connectedby a pivot 7 with a lever 8 that may be the controlling lever of a throttle valve or other speed varying means. The rod 6 is coupled to the shaft 5 by a universal ball and socket joint 6' to allow for flexure at the joint in case of any misalignment of the center line of the shaft 5 with the pivot 7. Pins 6" in the shaft and connecting rod will prevent the rotation of the shaft.

It is obvious that, serve the same pur ose as the ball and socket and the pins. Ra ial vanes 9 in the casing below the disk 4 tend to make the liquid rotate with the casing thereby engenderingin the same a centrifugal force. Radial vanes 10 on the upper side of the non-rotatable disk 4 check the circular movement of the liquid with the result that as the speed increases the centrifugal force engenders a suction beneath the disk 4 and a pressure above it which results in a downward motion of the disk with its shaft 5 and rod 6. The hollow space 11 inside the shaft- 5 has municating with a circumferential groove 13 on the outside of the shaft. There is also a passage 14 leading from the space 11 up through the center of therod 6 to outlets 15 through the side of' the rod. As the space'll is in open communication with the bottom of the disk 4, any air tending to accumulate under the disk, which of course bein lighter than liquid would concentrate itsel at the center of the disk, is permitted a pivotal joint would apertures 12 com-.

to escape through the space 11 as an air vent and thence up through openings 14 and 15 to the atmosphere. Labyrinthine grooves 16 are provided in the outer surface of the passing up the exterior surfaces of the shaft 5 will be checked by the labyrinthine grooves and finally will be forced out through the passage 12 into' the center 11 of the shaft.

I claim 1. In a speed regulator, a rotatable liquidtight container having a central vertical column rising therefrom and opening thereinto to msure complete lmmersion of a governing member, the said container pro-- 'thesaid disk capable of moving axially due to the difference in pressure above and below it, the vanes on'the container and the vanes on the disk being on opposite sides of the disk so as to create such difference of pressure, a shaft for the disk movable axially with respect to the container, and connecting mechanism from said shaft for controlling a source of power, the said shaft having an air vent through it to bleed any air pocketed beneath the disk.

2. A speed regulator as set forth in claim 1, in which the shaft has a journal fit in the vertical column.

3. A speed regulator as set forth in claim 1, in which the shaft has a journal fit partway up to said vertical column.

4. A speed regulator as set forth in claim 1, in which the shaft has a journal fit in the vertical column and side outlets through the Walls of the shaft from the air vent to the journal bearing.

5. A speed regulator as set forth in claim 1, in which the shaft has a journal fit in the vertical column and side outlets from the air vent to the journal bearing, and central outlets at the top, the former for discharging oil from hearing to the air vent and the latter for venting air.

6.'A speed regulator as set forth in claim 1, in which the shaft has a journal fit in the vertical column and a connecting rod from same to the controller mechanism with a joint capable of flexure to allow for misalignment of shaft and connecting rod while preventing rotational movement of the connected parts. i

CHARLES H. SMOOT. 

